Polychrome Basics — The Universal Premium Currency
Polychrome is Zenless Zone Zero's premium currency, used primarily for pulling characters, W-Engines, and Bangboo on gacha banners. Understanding how many Polychromes you can earn per month is the single most important skill for F2P and light spender account management — it determines how many limited characters you can guarantee, which banners you can afford to skip, and how aggressively you can vertically invest in your favorite agents.
Pull Conversion: 160 Polychrome = 1 pull (Master Tape or Encrypted Tape). This means every 1,600 Polychrome = 10 pulls. All calculations below use this conversion rate. A hard pity on the character event banner is 90 pulls (14,400 Polychrome), and soft pity typically triggers around pull 75 (12,000 Polychrome). The W-Engine banner has 80-pull hard pity (12,800 Polychrome) with soft pity at ~65 pulls (10,400 Polychrome).
📊 Key Numbers to Remember: 1 pull = 160 Polychrome. 10 pulls = 1,600 Polychrome. 1 month of F2P income ≈ 75-85 pulls (12,000-13,600 Polychrome). 1 patch (6 weeks) of F2P income ≈ 110-125 pulls (17,600-20,000 Polychrome). 1 guaranteed limited S-rank (losing 50/50) ≈ 180 pulls (28,800 Polychrome).
Monthly F2P Polychrome Income Breakdown
The following table itemizes every significant source of Polychrome for a fully active F2P player in v2.8. These numbers assume you complete all content, clear maximum Shiyu Defense floors, do all events, and log in daily:
| Income Source | Monthly Amount | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Commission (4) | 1,800 | Permanent | 60 Polychrome per day × 30 days. The most stable, predictable income source. |
| Shiyu Defense (Critical Node) | 2,400 | Permanent (bi-weekly) | ~1,200 per reset, 2 resets per month. Assumes full 15-floor clear at S-rank. |
| Hollow Zero Weekly | 960 | Permanent (weekly) | 240 per week × 4 weeks. Completing 3 Lost Void runs at Hard+ difficulty. |
| Simulated Battle Trial | 240 | Permanent (bi-weekly) | ~120 per trial character release. ~2 character trials per month. |
| Achievements & Compendium | ~500 | One-time (ongoing) | New achievements added each patch. Averaged monthly. Higher in first month of new patch. |
| Events (Major + Minor) | ~3,200 | Limited (patch-based) | ~4,800 per 6-week patch = 3,200 per month. Flagship events give ~2,000, smaller events give ~600 each. |
| HoYoLAB Daily Check-in | 60 | Permanent | ~20 per week from HoYoLAB check-in rewards (includes occasional Polychrome, mostly materials). |
| Signal Shop Monthly Refresh | 5 Master Tapes | Permanent | Value: 800 Polychrome equivalent (5 pulls × 160). Requires Residual Signal to purchase. |
| Total F2P (Polychrome) | ~9,160 + 5 tapes | Mixed | Equivalent to ~62 direct pulls + 5 tape pulls = ~67 total pulls per month. |
| Total F2P (per Patch) | ~13,740 + ~8 tapes | Mixed | Equivalent to ~86 direct pulls + ~8 tape pulls = ~94 total pulls per 6-week patch. |
💡 Important: The Signal Shop monthly tapes (5 Master + 5 Encrypted) are included in the "total pulls" calculation but are NOT Polychrome income — they are Residual Signal purchases. For F2P players, always buy the Master Tapes with Residual Signal (not the Encrypted Tapes unless you pull for W-Engines). The 5 free Master Tapes represent ~8 additional pulls per patch on top of your direct Polychrome income.
Monthly Income with Inter-Knot Membership (Monthly Pass)
The Inter-Knot Membership ($4.99 USD / month) is by far the best value purchase in ZZZ. It provides a daily login bonus of 90 Polychrome for 30 days, totaling 2,700 Polychrome per month. This nearly doubles your daily income.
| Source | F2P (Monthly) | With Inter-Knot Membership | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Polychrome (commissions + pass) | 1,800 | 4,500 (1,800 + 2,700) | +2,700 |
| All other sources (same) | 7,360 | 7,360 | 0 |
| Total Polychrome | 9,160 | 11,860 | +2,700 |
| Total pulls (incl. shop tapes) | ~67 | ~84 | +17 pulls |
| Polychrome per patch (6 weeks) | 13,740 | 17,790 | +4,050 |
| Pulls per patch (incl. shop tapes) | ~94 | ~119 | +25 pulls |
Is the Inter-Knot Membership worth it? Absolutely. At $4.99 for 2,700 Polychrome (16.8 pulls), the cost per pull is roughly $0.30. Compared to direct top-up ($0.99 for 60 Polychrome = $0.016 per Polychrome), the monthly pass gives you 5.6x the value. A light spender who buys only the monthly pass will earn approximately 84 pulls per month and 119 pulls per patch — enough to guarantee one limited S-rank character (if you win the 50/50) every patch, with some savings left over.
Grocery Store (Battle Pass) Value Analysis
The Grocery Store is ZZZ's battle pass system. It has a free track and a paid track ($9.99 per patch cycle). The paid track provides significant material value but very few pulls compared to the monthly pass.
| Pass Tier | Price | Polychrome/Pulls | Key Materials | Value Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Track | Free | ~200 Polychrome + 5 Standard Tapes | EXP chips, Dennies, some upgrade materials | Auto-claim everything. Free rewards are always worth the time. |
| Paid Track | $9.99 per patch | ~680 Polychrome + 4 Encrypted Tapes (~8 pulls total) | Self-selecting W-Engine (A-rank), 10x Resonance EXP, 30x purple upgrade materials, 500k Dennies | 🟡 Good for material efficiency, poor for pull economy. |
| Deluxe Track | $19.99 per patch | Same as paid + 1,880 Polychrome instantly (~20 pulls total including base) | Same materials + instant Polychrome boost + namecard | 🔵 Only if you want the instant Polychrome. Materials are same as paid. |
📊 Battle Pass vs Monthly Pass — Which First? If you have $15/month to spend, buy the Inter-Knot Membership ($4.99) first, then consider the Grocery Store paid track ($9.99). The monthly pass gives 2,700 Polychrome for $5. The battle pass gives ~680 Polychrome + ~4 Encrypted Tapes for $10. In terms of raw pulls, the monthly pass is 5x more efficient per dollar for pull income. Buy the battle pass only if you need the materials (EXP, Dennies, W-Engine) more than you need pulls.
Permanent vs Limited Sources — What You Can Count On
Not all Polychrome is created equal. Some sources are permanent (available every month/patch indefinitely) while others are limited (one-time rewards or dependent on event schedules). Understanding this distinction is critical for planning.
| Category | Sources | Monthly Amount | Reliability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Permanent (can rely on) | Daily Commissions, Shiyu Defense, Hollow Zero Weekly, Simulated Battle Trials, Signal Shop Tapes, HoYoLAB Check-in | ~5,460 Polychrome + 5 tapes | ⭐ 100% guaranteed — these will always be available. |
| Semi-Permanent (usually reliable) | New achievements from each patch, Version update compensation (600 Polychrome per patch) | ~800-1,100 | 🟡 High confidence — every patch includes maintenance compensation and new achievements. |
| Limited (variable) | Flagship events, minor events, web events, social media campaigns | ~3,200 | 🔵 Varies by patch — some patches have more events than others. v1.0 had 6 events; v2.0 had 5. Assume 4-5 events per patch. |
| One-time (do not budget) | Story rewards, Exploration chests, Hollow Zero first-clear bonuses, Shiyu Defense first-time clears | N/A (exhausted) | ❌ Do NOT include in monthly budget — once claimed, they are gone forever. |
💡 Budgeting Rule: Base your monthly savings plan on permanent sources only (~5,460 Polychrome + 5 Signal Shop tapes = ~39 pulls/month). Treat event Polychrome as "bonus" that accelerates your savings but do not pre-allocate it to a specific banner until the event is actually announced. This prevents you from overcommitting and being short on a must-pull banner.
Shiyu Defense & Hollow Zero Detailed Payout
These two endgame modes provide your most consistent permanent Polychrome income. Here is the precise breakdown per cycle:
Shiyu Defense (Critical Node): Resets every 2 weeks. Maximum payout requires clearing all 15 floors with S-rank (timed clear). Each floor from 6-15 gives 80 Polychrome (floors 1-5 give materials only). Total per reset: 800 Polychrome. Monthly (2 resets): 1,600 Polychrome from the front node. However, there is also a back node that resets simultaneously with ~400 Polychrome per clear. Total Shiyu Defense monthly: ~2,400 Polychrome.
Hollow Zero / Lost Void Weekly: 3 weekly bounties at Hard+ difficulty give 80 Polychrome each = 240 per week. Monthly (4 weeks): 960 Polychrome. Additionally, first-clear bonuses for each difficulty tier give one-time Polychrome (500 for Normal, 800 for Hard, 1,200 for Extreme, 1,500 for Nightmare) — these are one-time, do not budget them.
| Mode | Per Cycle | Cycles per Month | Monthly Total | Time Investment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shiyu Defense Critical Node | 1,200 | 2 | 2,400 | ~45 min per reset (1.5 hrs/month) |
| Hollow Zero (Lost Void) Weekly | 240 | 4 | 960 | ~1 hr per week (4 hrs/month) |
| Simulated Battle Trial | ~120 | 2 | 240 | 5 min per trial |
| Total Endgame Monthly | — | — | 3,600 | ~5.5 hrs/month |
Important: You must clear Shiyu Defense floor 15 (S-rank) to get maximum payout. If you are struggling, focus on clearing floors 6-10 consistently (which gives ~400 per reset = 800 monthly). Even partial clear rewards are significant — do not skip Shiyu Defense entirely just because you cannot full-clear.
Event Income Estimates
Events are the most variable Polychrome source but also the largest individual payout. Here is what you can typically expect per patch (6 weeks), which translates to the monthly estimates above:
| Event Type | Polychrome per Event | Per Patch (typical) | Time Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flagship Event (main story event, 2-3 weeks duration) | ~2,000 | 1 per patch = 2,000 | ~3-4 hours total over the event period |
| Minor Combat Event (combat challenge, 1 week) | ~600 | 2 per patch = 1,200 | ~30 minutes |
| Minor Web/Login Event (web event or 7-day login) | ~300-400 | 1-2 per patch = 400-800 | ~5 minutes |
| Version Update Compensation | 600 | 1 per patch = 600 | Automatic on login |
| Total Event Income per Patch | — | ~4,200-4,600 | ~5 hours total |
💡 Event Tracking Tip: The in-game Notice board and HoYoLAB event calendar are your best tools for not missing limited Polychrome. Set a reminder for the last 48 hours of each event — approximately 15-20% of players miss at least one event reward per patch due to expiration. Every missed event is equivalent to lost pulls forever.
Savings Plan for Specific Characters
Here is a practical savings plan template. Say you want to guarantee a specific character who is not yet announced but expected in a future patch:
| Scenario | Polychrome Needed | Pulls Needed | F2P Save Time | Monthly Pass Save Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I just want one copy (C0) | 28,800 (worst case) | 180 | ~1.9 patches (11 weeks) | ~1.5 patches (9 weeks) |
| C0 with signature W-Engine | ~42,000 (C0 worst case + ~13,000 for W-Engine) | ~260 | ~2.8 patches (16-17 weeks) | ~2.2 patches (13 weeks) |
| C2 (2 Cinema upgrades) | ~57,600 (2 × worst case C0) | ~360 | ~3.8 patches (23 weeks) | ~3.0 patches (18 weeks) |
| C2 + W-Engine | ~70,000 | ~440 | ~4.7 patches (28 weeks) | ~3.7 patches (22 weeks) |
💡 Practical Example: Say you want C0R1 Miyabi (Miyabi plus her signature W-Engine). You need ~42,000 Polychrome saved before her banner starts. If you are F2P, start saving approximately 4 months (2.8 patches) before her expected banner. Use the permanent income estimates above to track your savings. A simple method: maintain a spreadsheet where you log your current Polychrome count weekly and project forward using the ~5,460/month permanent income baseline, plus estimated event income.
Key Takeaways for F2P and Light Spenders
- Never pull on the standard banner with Polychrome. Free standard tapes only. Every Polychrome spent on standard banner is 160 Polychrome that could have been a limited banner pull.
- Skip at least 40-50% of banners as F2P. You cannot get every character. Prioritize characters that fill a role your account lacks or that you genuinely enjoy.
- The Inter-Knot Membership is 5x better than direct top-up. If you plan to spend any money, start here. It converts $5 into ~17 pulls, while $5 of direct top-up gives ~3 pulls.
- Plan 2 patches ahead. Leaks and official announcements typically give 6-8 weeks of advance notice for upcoming characters. Use this window to adjust your savings plan.
- Don't impulse-pull on new character banners. Wait 3-5 days after a banner launches for community reviews and gameplay impressions. Some characters look powerful on paper but underperform in practice (or require specific teammates you may not have).
- Your most valuable resource is patience. A F2P player who saves carefully for 3 patches can guarantee any single character with their signature W-Engine. Skipping 2-3 banners is a small price for getting your dream character fully equipped.